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from his own person, which indeed he presents by what he adds next: “and I said, Woe is me, for I am pierced to the heart, for being a man and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips, and I have seen the King, the Lord of Sabaoth, with my eyes”; for these words clearly present the man himself narrating what he has seen and how he has beheld the Lord of Sabaoth, about whom so many things have been said in the preceding passages, with his own eyes. And he also relates the time of the vision, saying: And it came to pass in the year that king Ozias died, I saw the Lord of Sabaoth sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. But I think that through these things it is clearly presented who was the Lord, the Lord of Sabaoth, who is indicated through the whole prophecy, which is interpreted Lord of hosts or Lord of powers. He introduces, then, a God who is seen; and yet, concerning the unbegotten divinity, it has been said: “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.” And the Savior himself teaches: “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God; he has seen the Father”; therefore, the Lord of Sabaoth now seen by the prophet was other than the unbegotten and invisible and incomprehensible divinity. And who was this but “the only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father,” who, condescending from his own greatness, and making himself small therefrom, made himself visible and comprehensible to humans. Thus, then, he “was seen” also “by Abraham,” when “he said to him, ‘To your seed I will give this land.’” Scripture therefore adds: “and there he built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him,” and again: “Abraham was ninety years old, and the Lord appeared to him,” and again: “the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oak of Mamre.” And concerning Isaac it is said: “and he went, and went up to the well of the oath, and the Lord appeared to him in that night,” and again concerning Jacob it is said: “I am the God who appeared to you in the place of God.” But also when “he came to Bethel, he and all the people that were with him, he built an altar there and called the name of the house Bethel; for there God had appeared to him.” And again it is said: “And God appeared to Jacob yet again in Luz.” And at another time, having appeared in the form of a man, he said to him: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name, for you have prevailed with God and are powerful with men.” when “he also called the name of the place ‘Form of God,’ saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and my soul was saved.’” And Moses also besought the God who spoke with him, saying: “If I have found grace in your sight, reveal yourself to me, that I may see you plainly.” But he answered him, saying: “This word also that you have spoken I will do for you; for you have found grace in my sight.” But also Ezekiel “saw” “the one sitting upon the cherubim,” “as the appearance of a man,” “from his loins and downward, fire; and from his loins and upward, the appearance of amber.” Through all of which we learn that the visions granted to the aforesaid were not similar, but different; for to Moses it was said: “You will not be able to see my face; for no man shall see my face, and live”; for the face of the God Logos and the divinity of the only-begotten Son of God could not be comprehended by mortal nature. And to Ezekiel, the glory of the Logos was seen through enigmas; but to Abraham he was seen having assumed the form of a man, so as to be “under the oak,” and “to have his feet washed,” and to partake of a table. Likewise also in the case of Jacob a man is introduced “wrestling,” whom Scripture calls a “man,” but he who spoke said: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob; but Israel shall be your name, for you have prevailed with God.” Wherefore Jacob also said: “For I have seen God face to face, and my soul was saved.” But the present prophet also testifies that he has seen his glory.

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ἐξ οἰκείου προσώπου, ὃ δὴ παρίστησιν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιφέρειν ἑξῆς· «καὶ εἶπον Ὦ τάλας ἐγώ, ὅτι κατανένυγμαι, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχων ἐμμέσῳ λαοῦ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος ἐγὼ οἰκῶ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα κύριον σαβαὼθ εἶδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου»· σαφῶς γὰρ ταῦτα τὸν ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν παρίστησιν διηγούμενον, ἃ ἑώρακεν καὶ ὡς τὸν κύριον σαβαώθ, περὶ οὗ τὰ τοσαῦτα διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ τεθέαται. ἱστορεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν χρόνον τῆς θεωρίας λέγων· Καὶ ἐγένετο τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, οὗ ἀπέθανεν Ὀζίας ὁ βασιλεύς, εἶδον τὸν κύριον σαβαὼθ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου. οἶμαι δὲ διὰ τούτων σαφῶς παρίστασθαι, τίς ποτ' ἦν ὁ διὰ πάσης τῆς προφητείας δηλούμενος κύριος κύριος σαβαώθ, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται κύριος στρατιῶν ἢ κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων. ὁρώμενον γοῦν θεὸν εἰσάγει· καίτοι περὶ τῆς ἀγεννήτου θεότητος εἴρηται τό· «θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο». αὐτός τε ὁ σωτὴρ διδάσκει· «οὐχ ὅτι τὸν πατέρα ἑώρακέν τις, εἰ μὴ ὁ ὢν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗτος ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα»· οὐκοῦν ὁ νῦν τῷ προφήτῃ θεωρούμενος κύριος σαβαὼθ τῆς ἀγεννήτου καὶ ἀοράτου καὶ ἀκαταλήπτου θεότητος ἕτερος ἦν. τίς δὲ οὗτος ἢ «ὁ μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός», ὃς ὑποκαταβαίνων τοῦ ἰδίου μεγέθους, σμικρύνων τε αὐτὸν ἐξ ἐκείνου ὁρατὸν καὶ καταληπτὸν ἀνθρώποις ἐποίει. οὕτω γοῦν «ὤφθη» καὶ «τῷ Ἀβραάμ», ὁπηνίκα «εἶπεν αὐτῷ Τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην». Ἐπιλέγει οὖν ἡ γραφή· «καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ ὀφθέντι αὐτῷ», καὶ πάλιν· «Ἀβραὰμ ἐγένετο ἐτῶν ἐνενήκοντα, καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ κύριος», καὶ αὖθις· «ὤφθη κύριος τῷ Ἀβραὰμ πρὸς τῇ δρυῒ τῇ Μαμβρή». καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ εἴρηται· «καὶ ἐπορεύθη, καὶ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὅρκου, καὶ ὤφθη κύριος αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ», καὶ αὖθις ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ εἴρηται· «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τόπῳ θεοῦ». ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτε «ἦλθεν εἰς Βαιθὴλ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ' αὐτοῦ, ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα οἴκου Βαιθήλ· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ ὁ θεός». καὶ πάλιν εἴρηται· «ὤφθη δὲ ὁ θεὸς τῷ Ἰακὼβ καὶ ἔτι ἐν Λουζᾶ». καὶ ἄλλοτε εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἐν ἀνθρώπου σχήματι ὀφθείς· «οὐκέτι κληθήσεται τὸ ὄνομά σου Ἰακώβ, ἀλλ' ἢ Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὅτι ἐνίσχυσας μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων δυνατός». ὅτε «καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου Εἶδος θεοῦ εἰπών· εἶδον γὰρ θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐσώθη μου ἡ ψυχή». καὶ Μωσῆς δὲ τὸν χρηματίζοντα αὐτῷ θεὸν ἱκέτευσε λέγων· «εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιόν σου, ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτόν, γνωστῶς ἴδω σε». ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ λέγων· «καὶ τοῦτόν σοι τὸν λόγον ὃν εἴρηκας ποιήσω· εὕρηκας γὰρ χάριν ἐνώπιόν μου». ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ «τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβὶμ καθήμενον» «εἶδεν, ὡς ὅρασιν ἀνθρώπου» «ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως κάτω πῦρ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ ἕως ὑπὲρ ὅρασιν ἠλέκτρου». δι' ὧν ἁπάντων μανθάνομεν οὐχ ὁμοίας τὰς ὀπτασίας γεγονέναι τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν, ἀλλὰ διαφόρους· τῷ μὲν γὰρ Μωσῇ εἴρητο· «οὐ δυνήσῃ ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου· οὐ γὰρ ἴδῃ ἄνθρωπος τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, καὶ ζήσεται»· τὸ γὰρ πρόσωπον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου καὶ ἡ θεότης τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ θνητῇ φύσει οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο καταληπτή. καὶ τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ δὲ ἡ τοῦ λόγου δόξα δι' αἰνιγμάτων ἐθεωρεῖτο· τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐσχηματισμένος ἑωρᾶτο ἐν ἀνθρώπου μορφῇ, ὡς καὶ «ὑπὸ τὴν δρῦν» γενέσθαι, καὶ «τοὺς πόδας ἀπονίψασθαι» καὶ τραπέζης κοινωνῆσαι. ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἄνθρωπος εἰσῆκται «παλαίων», ὃν ἡ μὲν γραφὴ «ἄνθρωπον» ὀνομάζει, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ χρηματίζων· «οὐ κληθήσεταί φησιν τὸ ὄνομά σου Ἰακώβ· ἀλλ' Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὅτι ἐνίσχυσας μετὰ θεοῦ». ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἔλεγεν· «εἶδον γὰρ θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐσώθη μου ἡ ψυχή». ὁ δὲ παρὼν προφήτης ἰδεῖν καὶ αὐτὸς μαρτυρεῖται τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ.